Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Survivors of violence committed by government institutions of south Korea and crimes related to the cases fabricated by them in the past and bereaved families of those killed due to those crimes reportedly called a press conference on Jan. 10 in front of the building of the Committee for the Settlement of the Past History for Truth and Reconciliation at which they called for a joint probe into those cases of violence.
O Jong Ryol, permanent chairman of the People's Solidarity for Inheriting the Spirit of the Movement for Democratization, and other speakers said that this land will always remain a criminal society if the truth about the above-said crimes are kept buried into oblivion, declaring that he would continue to probe the truth behind the cases.
At the end of the conference the participants had an interview with the chairman of the committee and others. They demanded the revision of the law on the probe into the truth behind the past history, complaining that the law has "too many flaws."
A number of people died due to harsh torture at prisons and detention houses and its sequela but the authorities turned down a relevant lawsuit, they said, stressing the need for the committee to come out to properly probe the truth behind the past cases of violence.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The 10th Kimjongilia Festival will be held here on the occasion of the auspicious February holiday.
The festival is to take place at the Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia Exhibition from February 14 to 20, Juche 95 (2006).
It will bring together armed forces organs, commissions and ministries of the Cabinet, national institutions, servicepersons and working people who have successfully put the cultivation of Kimjongilia, an immortal flower, on a scientific and technological basis.
The forthcoming festival will mark an important occasion in strikingly demonstrating the faith and will of the servicepersons and people to highly praise the greatness of leader Kim Jong Il and make a fresh leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation, closely rallied around the headquarters of the revolution, as well as the might of their single-minded unity.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- The servicepersons and people in the DPRK have turned out in the drive to build a great prosperous powerful nation full of great ambition and confidence of sure victory. This revolutionary spirit is a manifestation of the noble view on life based on the will to dedicate oneself to the prosperity of the country.
Rodong Sinmun Sunday says this in a by-lined article dedicated to the anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's famous work "Let Us Live not Merely for Today but for Tomorrow" published on Jan. 14, Juche 85 (1996).
The article goes on:
The devoted efforts made by the servicepersons of the People's Army and working people to bring about a rosy future of a rich and powerful country strongly convinces everyone of the tremendous vitality of the above-said work.
Set out in the work are ideas and theories such as the idea that one should devote oneself to the future of the country and the happiness of the generations to come though one may not enjoy happiness in one's lifetime and the idea that one should always live and work optimistically with firm confidence of victory in the revolution. They serve as immensely precious ideological and mental pabulum for the Korean people to glorify their lives on the road of revolution.
The Korean people's revolutionary trait of living not merely for today but for tomorrow finds a vivid expression in the fact that they are confidently advancing along the road of Songun full of conviction of sure victory.
The justice of the Songun revolution the servicepersons and people of the DPRK have grasped, while weathering out all sorts of tempests of history instills the conviction of sure victory into them and encourages them to staunchly struggle for a rosier future.
They have struggled on the basis of the revolutionary view on life taught by Kim Jong Il. In this course they have grown to be indomitable fighters making a higher leap forward and advancing faster without any pessimism and hesitation under any situation and circumstances.
The above-mentioned trait also finds its manifestation in the fact that an optimistic and emotional lifestyle is prevailing throughout the country.
Neither bourgeois ideological and cultural poisoning nor psychological warfare can ever work on the society where everyone lives full of confidence and optimism while conducting popular cultural and sports activities, the article concludes.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- For the divided Korean nation the love of the country is manifested in contributing to the cause of national reunification and patriotism is unthinkable apart from the issue of reunification.
Rodong Sinmun Sunday says this in a signed article.
It goes on:
In order to develop the movement for national reunification into a genuine patriotic movement all the members of the nation should promote the great unity of the nation on the principle of placing the interests of the nation above those of individual classes and strata and subordinating everything to meeting them.
It is an act of treachery to stand in the way of achieving great national unity in the June 15 era of reunification.
All the patriotic forces desirous of reunification should unite close irrespective of ideology, ideal, party affiliation and political grouping, call as one for independent reunification, peace against war and great national unity and take joint actions to stop the mouths of the pro-U.S. conservative forces and bind them hand and foot.
Only when all Koreans unite in action under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration by placing the common interests of the nation above anything else irrespective of ideology, ideal, party affiliation and political grouping is it possible to prevent the permanent division of Korea and bring earlier the day of national reunification, the cherished desire of the nation.
All the Koreans will wage a dynamic patriotic movement for independent reunification, peace against war and great national unity under the uplifted banner of the June 15 joint declaration as called for by the joint New Year editorial and thus fully demonstrate the might of the nation rallied with one and the same will for reunification.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Japan's liquidation of its past is its unavoidable legal and moral obligations and its historical commitment. Japan should show to the world its will to settle its past wrongs in practice this year.
Rodong Sinmun today urges this in a signed article.
It says:
By nature Japan's settlement of its past crimes is an issue of paying the debt incurred to the Korean nation, the victim, as an assailant and its honest apology and compensation for the damage done to the Koreans are essential for its liquidation of the past.
Japan is under a legal obligation to redress its past crimes because its occupation and rule over Korea were the most hideous state crime committed on the basis of an illegal false document and all crimes committed by the Japanese imperialists in the period of their occupation and rule were monstrous crimes to which the statute of limitations is not applicable.
It is also a moral responsibility for Japan to settle its past crimes because the crimes committed by Japan in Korea in the past were crimes against humanity as they were a blatant violation of the elementary rights and dignity and morality and ethics of human beings.
The liquidation of the past crimes has become an international trend in the present times.
Involved in this undertaking are not only war criminal states but victor nations which committed certain crimes in violation of international law. Germany, a war criminal state during the Second World War, has already admitted the crimes committed by Nazis and made honest apology for them and paid adequate material compensation to the victims.
Quite contrary to this, Japan has persistently refused to admit its past crimes and settle them. It is leaving no means untried to evade its responsibility for its past crimes, denying and whitewashing all sorts of wrongs committed by it in Korea in past.
Japan would be well advised to sincerely redeem its past crimes without delay if it wishes to shake off the ill fame of "enemy state" and live with clean conscience as a member of the international community, enjoying its trust, the article concludes.

Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- A friendly meeting, a photo and book exhibition and a film show took place at the Laos-DPRK Youth Friendship Centre on Jan. 10 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League.
On display in the venue of the function were photos of leader Kim Jong Il giving field guidance to different fields of national economy, photos showing the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea, famous works of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and other Korean books.
The chairman of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union in his speech at the friendly meeting said that over the last six decades the youth league of the DPRK has covered a proud path of victory and achieved many successes under the wise leadership of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
Its participants watched an art performance given by the centre.
The meeting adopted a message of greetings jointly addressed to Kim Jong Il by the C.C., LPRYU, the Laos-DPRK Youth Friendship Centre and the youth cooperation team of China taking part in the function.

Pyongyang, January 14 (KCNA) -- The French Preparatory Committee for Commemorating the Day of the Sun and Celebrating Feb. 16 was formed in Paris on Jan. 5.
Andre Aubry, delegate president of the France-Korea Friendship Association, was elected chairman of the preparatory committee.
The preparatory committee decided to hold colorful functions including meetings, photo exhibitions and film shows in Paris and other parts of France and widely introduce the joint New Year editorial published in the DPRK through the Internet on the occasion of Apr. 15, the birthday of President Kim Il Sung, and Feb. 16, the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il.

Pyongyang, January 14 (KCNA) -- Pro-U.S. ultra-right forces in south Korea committed rowdyism in front of the buildings of the South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification and the National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification on January 11 under the pretext of the inscription on the gravestone of Kim Nam Sik.
That day pro-U.S. ultra-right organizations charged that the inscription of "pro-reunification patriot" on his gravestone is an act of "disseminating the pro-north idea" and threatened to prosecute the enemy-benefiting act and remove his gravestone by themselves.
The South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification in a statement issued on January 11 in this regard branded this rowdyism as the last-ditch effort of a handful of elements afraid of the advent of the era of reunification.
The statement went on:
Such rowdyism took place shortly after the graves of unconverted long-term prisoners were dug on December last year. This proves once again that the moves of the ultra-right forces have reached an intolerable phase.
The statement called upon all people to pool their efforts for the peace and reunification of the country and social progress and eradicate the pro-U.S. ultra-right forces as soon as possible.

Pyongyang, January 14 (KCNA) -- The 76th anti-U.S. solidarity rally was reportedly held at Citizens Park in Kwanghwamun, Seoul, on January 10. The ralliers held that they could never tolerate the U.S. dangerous hostile policy towards the north and its ambassador's arrogant interference in internal affairs of Korea.
Attending it were members of civic and public organizations including the South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country's Reunification, the People for Achieving Peace and Reunification, the Phyongthaek Measure Committee against the Expansion of U.S. Military Base, the Family Movement for Realizing Democracy, the Anti-U.S. Youth Society and the (south) Korean Catholic Priests' Association for Justice.
Speakers at the rally noted that recently the United States made a string of reckless anti-north remarks such as "criminal regime", pressurized the south Korean authorities to undertake a huge land leveling work for the expansion of its military base in Phyongthaek, and massively stockpiled in south Korea depleted uranium bombs the use of which is prohibited internationally.
At the end of the rally, the participants marched as far as the U.S. embassy in Seoul and thrust a letter of protest to it.
The letter strongly urged the U.S. to promptly roll back its anti-north policy and recall its ambassador if it truly hopes for progress of the six-party talks.

Pyongyang, January 14 (KCNA) -- A meeting and a photo exhibition were held here on Jan. 13 to mark the 5th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the DPRK and Turkey. It was attended by members of the DPRK-Turkey Friendship Association and working people in the city.
A speech was made by Jon Yong Jin, vice-chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries who is chairman of the association.
At the end of the meeting its participants looked round the photos introducing Turkey.

Pyongyang, January 14 (KCNA) -- The Koreans are foreseeing the bright future of Songun Korea with confidence in the proud appearance of the members of the young vanguard who are dedicating their youth to the party, the leader and the socialist homeland, says Rodong Sinmun Saturday in an article dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League.
The youth represent the most militant force upholding the Workers' Party of Korea's revolutionary cause of Songun with loyalty and a reliable death-defying corps taking the lead in defending the headquarters of the revolution, the article says, and goes on:
They are a powerful force defending and glorifying Korean-style socialism and the most vibrant and militant unit carving out the future of a prosperous country full of great ambition and ideal.
Leader Kim Jong Il is a peerlessly great man as he has successfully carried forward and developed President Kim Il Sung's unique idea of attaching importance to the youth and his leadership exploits and trained a large contingent of members of the young vanguard of Songun with his experienced and tested leadership.
Kim Jong Il set forth it as a strategic policy for the ultimate victory of the Songun revolution to develop the youth movement and enhance their role and has trained youth to be stalwart young vanguard members of Juche-type true to the Songun leadership while leading the fierce confrontation with the U.S. and the building of a great prosperous powerful country to victory.
The history of Kim Jong Il's Songun revolutionary leadership represents an immortal history in which he has brought up the young people to be staunch revolutionary fighters in the sacred struggle to defend the country.
It is his unshakable stand that training servicepersons to be staunch revolutionaries presents itself as a prerequisite to increasing the combat capability of the People's Army and a key link in the chain of efforts to convert the whole ranks of youth into elite forces and transform the whole society in a revolutionary manner.
The People's Army has become a Songun revolutionary university where young soldiers are trained to be men strongest in idea and faith under the wise guidance of Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il just as the Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Army served as a revolutionary university for training ardent fighters. In the DPRK servicepersons constitute a core and main force of the youth movement as they are firmly standing guard over the anti-imperialist military front, the most important lifeline in defending socialism, tightly holding the arms of the revolution in their hands.
Proceeding from the stand of Juche, Kim Jong Il put forward servicepersons as a paradigm of the young vanguard in the Songun era and has energetically led all young people to actively learn from their noble thinking and mentality.
It is the most shining exploit Kim Jong Il has performed for the eternal prosperity of the country and the nation that he has trained the younger generation of Songun capable of undertaking the huge task of building a great prosperous powerful nation in the 21st century despite the grim tempest of the revolution.
The single-minded unity symbolizes the eternal prosperity of Songun Korea and serves as a treasured sword for victory, the article says, stressing that Korean-style socialism will always emerge victorious thanks to this unity as long as there is the large young vanguard of Songun intensely loyal to the party and the leader.

Pyongyang, January 14 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the DPRK government headed by Minister of Agriculture Ri Kyong Sik left here today to participate in the International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza to be held in China.
The delegation was seen off at the airport by Mun Ung Jo, vice-minister of Agriculture, and Guan Huabing, Chinese charge d'affaires ad interim here.

Pyongyang, January 14 (KCNA) -- The Korea Stamp Corporation has recently published a new stamp (a souvenir sheet) on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League.
The league is the youth organization of the Workers' Party of Korea, the sole revolutionary mass organization of the young people in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which is carrying forward the socialist cause of Juche pioneered and led by President Kim Il Sung.
The Democratic Youth League of North Korea was founded on January 17, Juche 35 (1946) on the initiative of the President and under his guidance. It developed into the Democratic Youth League of Korea, the League of Socialist Working Youth of Korea and into the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League in January 1996.
Printed in the center of the souvenir sheet is the image of leader Kim Jong Il who has been constantly strengthening the Korean youth movement, among enthusiastically cheering young people with the youth league flag and flags bearing the words "Young vanguard" and "Defending the leader with our lives" as the background.
Figuring on the top of the stamp with the badge of the youth league are words "In Commemoration of 60th Anniversary of Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League" and "Juche 35 (1946) - Juche 95 (2006)".
Its face value is 128 won.

Pyongyang, January 14 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Korea-Cuba Solidarity Committee led by Jon Hyon Chan, vice-chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries who is vice-chairman of the Korea-Cuba Solidarity Committee, left here today by train to participate in the 3rd Asia- Pacific Regional Conference for Solidarity with Cuba to be held in India.
A delegation of the Youth Federation of Korean Nationals in China headed by its Chairman Mun Thae Hwan arrived here today by air to participate in the celebrations of the 60th founding anniversary of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League.